13 November 2013

Implant One, five years gone

Yep 12 November marks my first five year's use of cochlear implants.
What an amazing device.

Where would I be without it/them?
It'd be hard work, all visual cues and clues. I suppose I might have learnt signing language but I don't know anyone who does it. My clients certainly don't. So I couldn't work, unless I changed jobs. Communication would become almost entirely text-based.

Travel would be incredibly difficult. I could no longer travel alone. People around the world don't sign.

I could see how I could become insignificant. Could I still write things I couldn't hear! Could I sing any more? Maybe I could - when I do, I imagine how it sounds as I do it, but is that enough? You don't see "music by deaf people" out there.
Not that I'm significant now.

When I received the second one in 2010 it filled in a big gap. There's still gaps, not so much physical as usage-related, understanding. Let's hope they can be filled by forthcoming technology.

No comments:

Post a Comment